NO! Never round your GPA.
As a job seeker you want to present competitive documents that represent your skills and accomplishments. Mathematically speaking, rounding numbers is an accepted practice, so, can it really hurt if you list that 3.46 as a 3.5? YES! It can really hurt you and potentially cost you the job. Here鈥檚 why.
As an educator you are considered to be a role model for honest and ethical behavior. Any hint of academic dishonesty can damage your reputation and cause an employer to take a pass on your application. You will submit transcripts with your application package and any discrepancies could be scrutinized. It just doesn鈥檛 make sense to take this chance.
Play it safe and don鈥檛 round your GPA. If you are given limited space on an application, then truncate rather than round. GPA is only one factor among many that employers consider when reviewing applications, but it could be THE factor that gets you ruled out if you decide to round.
Sandra P. Sylvestre, MA, GCDF
Assistant Director, Career Services
Brandeis University
Waltham, MA